Bernie Miklasz makes an excellent point in this article. While the Cards have drafted and developed players just as well as any other team in the league, they haven’t done a good job of supplementing that homegrown talent.

R27 wrote:Regardless of who, it's definitely yet another giant flashing sign that the chemistry in the clubhouse is off. Yet nothing seems to have been done to correct it. These problems existed before at least Cecil and Fowler got here. Fowler was supposed to help, but as a new player, if you don't hit the ground running on the field, it's hard to lead. Struggling out of the gate took his legs out from underneath him in that department.

Wasn't this clubhouse chemistry what Matheny was supposed to be good at? If his clubhouse is getting away from him and it is already known he isn't good at in game moves, why exactly is he still the manager? Is there another side to managing that he is still good at?

He is the only one whose job description involves setting the clubhouse culture. If you don't like the culture in Matheny's clubhouse, I'm not sure what's going to change as long as you keep him.

He's a nice guy. That's about the only positive thing I really can say about him.

Two main problems exist here with Matheny beyond the strategy... 1) I very strongly believe that he's the kind of guy who sucks the air out of the room when things are going bad. You just see that in his post games after the team loses. Monotone and mumbling. It's body language. It's the same as when things go bad for a pitcher and things can easily reel out of control. 2) He is potentially too nice to be good at his job. I think this is something you learn from experience is that sometimes, as a manager, you have to be the bad guy who sticks their foot up someone's butt. In hindsight of my first managerial position, I feel like at times I was too nice when people needed to have their butts kicked. I will likely manage people differently my next go 'round.

We all do realize and accept that they're just going to maintain the status quo, right? Come January we'll get explanations about trade market was too uncomfortable, other teams were willing to go further, and how they'll reallocate the dollars somewhere else.

I read the article by Jenifer Langosch, and while I agree with most of what she wrote, she missed the biggest obstacle to us winning a Pennant. We need a new Manager! Mike's a nice guy and he wants to win, he just doesn't have what it takes to lead a Major League Baseball Team to the League Championship.

Tony LaRussa had that fire in his belly to Win! I don't see that in Mike Matheny. I'll admit, Mike doesn't like to lose, but he accepts losses as a consequence of playing the game.

Also, I feel that he sometimes changes pitchers too soon. Other times, he will let a pitcher continue until there is no way the Cardinals can possibly catch up. The run count just got out of reach. I know this sound contradictory, but there is a balancing point. However, he has no clue about that or where that point might be.

Chief Redbird wrote:Also, I feel that he sometimes changes pitchers too soon. Other times, he will let a pitcher continue until there is no way the Cardinals can possibly catch up. The run count just got out of reach. I know this sound contradictory, but there is a balancing point. However, he has no clue about that or where that point might be.

It seems like they are content to hang that around Lilliquist's neck. And it's possible that that is where it belongs, but we'll find out!

The biggest part about that is that this is now Matheny's staff. Lilliquist was the last guy from TLR's staff. So he now owns the coaching staff, win or lose.

MLBTR released their Top 50 FA's with predictions list today. Cards are mentioned as suitors with 8 of the top 10 players, including the first 6. However, of the 50 players listed, the Cards are only predicted to sign former Rox closer, Greg Holland.

One day after talking publishing an overview saying the club has the means and needs to turn quantity into quality, MLBTR doesn't seem to have much faith that the team will be aggressive.